Affordable Brown Bear Hunt?

[Jim n Iowa]

I too would like to hunt the brown bear, moose, and the caribou. I have made two trips to Alaska traveling around in a rented RV. I and my wife love this place, and I have used the service's of guides on fishing trips and have been completely satisfied with the service I was given. They have a short time to make their income, and 90% of goods are shipped up from the lower 48. My point is I have been saving and dreaming of the combo hunt, then I will contact Dave and find out how to go about it.
Jim

[Golsovia]

Even 10 grand does seem like a lot of dough to me though I have bear guides living on both sides of me within a minute's walk - and they know that, at 10 K they are a bit low. Still, they make money at it though not enough to be living anywhere near the level of most of the clients they guide. The thing many folks don't realize is that prices on everything are steep especially when the road ends and things move only by water or air. When I look at what my neighbors put into the machinery alone after bear season, I wonder if it really pays to do what they do, yet they do it. I'm sure some of the full ten day hunts don't actually make money for these guys. In that respect it can be a little bit like farming: a gamble.

One thing I can say for certain is that a person would really be gambling to try to do a bear hunt out in my part of the world on their own if they didn't reside here or have connections. Even the cost of getting to the nearest hub 50 miles distant is a $120 RT deal for simple seat fare. Chartering a flight with gear and equipment would easily climb sky high. That doesn't even address the cost involved with getting between the hub and Anchorage, the cheapest "road" to fly to. On top of that, if one did that type of thing, it would still leave you "cold" in terms of where and how to hunt the area. One of the many things a guide provides is legal access by aquiring the necessary permits (3% of which the Gov't takes from the gross when accessing their lands.)

I know the fellows I live around do their darnedest to try to help any of their clients achieve the success they hope for and will go out of their way to help a decent client get an animal especially when they are working with the "once in a lifetime" guys. (I happen to know that some guides will sometimes work "deals" with pairs of guys who book together too. That is another thing to consider.)

Just about anyone can exist out here though many prefer not to. It does take a reasonably hardy soul to actually live and enjoy life beyond road's end. Many hunters discover that even tens days can be a challenge.

[Moose-Hunter]

There's a place in Willow, Alaska called "Willow Air" that is currently offering "affortable brown bear hunts" for $4995 per person.

Check out the link:

http://www.willowair.com/hunts/docs/brownbear.htm

[Moose-Hunter]

Here's a quote from that site:

"AFFORDABLE" BROWN BEAR HUNTS
I am hearing from a lot of hunters that they would love to go on a brown bear hunt but they just can’t afford to spend 10-15 thousand dollars. In Alaska a non resident must have a guide to hunt brown bear. Our brown bear population is at an all time high and I am trying to find a way for non residents to have an affordable brown bear hunt. This is what I have come up with. The hunt will be either spring or fall and will be 1 guide for each 2 hunters. This would be ideal for a father/son or two guys that hunt together all the time. You will have to be fit and able to hunt and not expect to be catered to all the time. We will supply the guide, all the flying, the camp, and you will bring your own food and do your own cooking. Cost will be $4995.00 per per-son. What do you think? If you might be interested let me know."

[Demonical]

You know Canadian hunts are a lot cheaper than Alaskan hunts.  So why don't you go for a grizzly in BC or Alberta.  When something goes beyond market reality don't buy it.  If there is not a customer then prices will become reasonable.  I reserved a hunt in Manitoba this year for myself and my son and three nephews  and we will spend somewhere between 12 and 15,000 dollars for all five of us.  So tell the monopoly guides in Alaska to kiss off.  Anyway thats my opinion.

fknipfer

FYI Alberta has placed a moratorium on the grizzly hunt here. It may never re-open. Too much habitat loss from forestry and oil & gas operations and exploration.

As far as comparing a black bear hunt to brown bear it is not the same thing, although hunting black bears is hella fun.

[wyocarp]

I say you should move here, get a job, settle in and enjoy this great state for a few years.  But then, you may end up like a bunch of us and never want to leave...  Warmed up in Fairbanks today :grin: 13 degrees now.

Buddy

Well, it warmed up here in Jackson Hole yesterday as well, I saw that it hit 2 degrees.

[1sourdough]

 I agree a brown/grizzly hunt will be out of reach for most of us. Why not do a black bear hunt in the Northern tier of states or Canada? You may have to work with a draw system or go through an outfitter in some areas but it is much more doable.

[S.E.Ak]

Needing to use a guide adds to the economy of Alaska. If just anyone could come up and hunt we would be out of bears in a couple of years and the hunters would be gone along with the money.

[Mack in N.C.]

bmbteko2,    not a brown bear huunt but if you want to go a fter a big bear and you live in the south, nc may be your best option.........the biggest bears(weight) are being killed in coastal nc..............400 lber doesnt even draw a crowd any more...too many killed over 600 lbs...........top weights in the last few years has been a 720 lber and an 880 lber.........biggest bklack bear on record.........there are a few guides down east that do this though i dont know any of them..........ask jim zumbo where he killed his biggest black bear........wasnt alaska, vancover island, wasnt even canada......eastern nc got him his biggest black.........plenty of public land but the public land can be hard to hunt......mack

[billy_56081]

What are the residency requirments for Alaska? Are they still basically instant? If so a person could take up residency one the day  they arrive. Just a thought.

[S.E.Ak]

You have to live in Alaska one year to hunt Brownies, sheep ect. Anyone can do a black bear hunt on their own but I would take a friend or two

[efremtags]

Try a black bear hunt in Saskatchewan, they have phase color bears there. You might get lucky and shoot a brown one. It's cheaper than Alaska.......

[thxmrgarand]

A nonresident can hunt BB without a guide if hunting with a next of kin who is a resident.  Still have to have nonresident tag however.  Alaska is a great place to live, and will be a great place to wait out an Obama administration should that tragedy befall us.

[deltecs]

A nonresident can hunt BB without a guide if hunting with a next of kin who is a resident.  Still have to have nonresident tag however.  Alaska is a great place to live, and will be a great place to wait out an Obama administration should that tragedy befall us.

I'm prepared for just such a tragedy.  I've even loaded up some bear loads for use as trade stock to those liberal hunters wanting a cheap bear hunt up here.  What am I saying, they'll have to bring shotguns for this hunt as all other firearms will be outlawed.

[S.E.Ak]

I only shot one black Black bear in Alaska,all other were from almost white to chocolate.

[bgbfarm]

I have hunted in Alaska 4 times for black Bears over the last 3 years with great success with a Transporter WWW.Alaskanortheroutfitters.com I myself would love to hunt a Brown Bear but also have a blue collar budget. On the Alaska Governor website you can email Sarah with question much like this nonresident/guide issue. The responce that i got back took sometime and came from a referral at the game commission. I was told that for safety reasons, i needed a guide. I have had some runins with wounded Black Bears that needed a couple of 12 GA. Slugs to stop but we always have hunted with back up, so i see the concern. I listed multiple reasons to allow nonresidents to hunt but to no avail. Alaska is a harsh place at times and will kill you even if you are careful. My hope is that they will allow a Transporter to assist a nonresident to the hunting area and provide shelter for a reduced price over a guide. Being from Alabama, the thrill of stepping off a plane in Alaska and seeing what God Created is something every person should experience at least one in there life. P.S. I will be back in this Sept. .375 in Hand.